Eutima gegenbauri

Eutima gegenbauri (Haeckel, 1864)

Octorchis gegenbauri: Haeckel 1864: 331.

Eutima gegenbauri: Kramp 1959 a:161, fig. 221; 1961: 195.

Description: 13 specimens from single station; in poor condition. Bell-shaped umbrella, slightly taller than broad, without apical projection; up to 12 mm in diameter. Exumbrella surface smooth. Mesoglea thickened apically, thinning to margin. Velum narrow. Peripheral canal and four radial canals present; radial canals narrow, with smooth margin, unbranched, extending from umbrella margin across underside of bell and along gastric peduncle to manubrium; without centripetal canals. With 8 tentacles connected to peripheral canal, arising from slightly swollen, linear bulbs on umbrella margin. Tentacles of similar length, long, hollow, unbranched, filiform. With up to 80 small, atentaculate marginal swellings or warts. All marginal bulbs and warts without keel, but with excretory papillae adaxially; lateral cirri present. Manubrium short, flask-shaped, not connected to radial canals by mesenteries. Mouth simple, quadrate, with four short, slightly crenulated lips (damaged in specimens on hand). Gastric peduncle pronounced, longer than umbrella diameter, with broad prismatic base, tapering distally. Statocysts closed, eight in number (two per quadrant). Without ocelli. With eight gonads; linear, may be sinuous, four on gastric peduncle, and four extending from gastric peduncle along much of length of subumbrella surface of radial canals.

Material examined: H5073.

Comments: see E.? commensalis.

Distribution: Widespread in temperate waters of the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. This is the first record from the west Indian Ocean, though Bouillon (1984) notes it as found off Sri Lanka. Neritic.